Scanning apparatus and method in a multi-hop relay broadband wireless access communication system

• US 20070060048A1
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Mi-Hyun, Lee, Sung-Jin, Son, Yeong-Moon, Hong, Song-Nam, Kang, Hyun-Jeong, Kim, Young-Ho, Son, Jung-Je, Lim, Hyoung-Kyu, Joo, Pan-Yuh, Cho, Jae-Wong
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/13.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A scanning apparatus and method in a multi-hop relay Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) communication system are provided. In the scanning method, a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) sends a scan request message requesting scanning to a Base Station (BS) via a Relay Station (RS). The BS sends a scan response message containing information for the scanning of the MSS to the MSS via the RS. The BS then sends a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the RS.

Claims

1. A communication method in a Relay Station (RS) in a cellular communication system, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a scan request message received from a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) to a Base Station (BS); and

transmitting a scan response message received from the BS to the MSS, the scan response message containing information for scanning the MSS.

2. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the scan request message contains information about desired neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs to be scanned.

3. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the scan response message contains at least one of a scan duration, a scan report mode, a scan report period, the type of information reported as a scanning result, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, a time interval between scannings, and information about neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs to be scanned.

4. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS from the BS, after transmitting the scan request message.

5. The communication method of claim 4, wherein the scan notify message contains at least one of an MSS Identifier (ID), a scan duration, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, and a time interval between scannings.

6. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a scan report message containing a scanning result from the MSS; and

transmitting the scan report message to the BS.

7. The communication method of claim 6, wherein the scan report message contains at least one of a scan report mode, the type of information reported as the scanning result, information about scanned neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs, and scanning result information.

8. The communication method of claim 7, wherein the scanning result information is one of Carrier-to-Interference and Noise Ratio (CINR), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), and a delay.

9. The communication method of claim 6, further comprising the step of receiving a scan result message indicating the scanning result of the MSS from the BS, after transmitting the scan report message.

10. The communication method of claim 9, wherein the scan result message contains at least one of an MSS ID, the IDs of nodes that the MSS has scanned, and scanning result information.

14. The communication method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the BS, after transmitting the scan response message to the MSS; and

receiving a response message for the scan notify message from the BS.

15. The communication method of claim 14, wherein the scan notify message contains at least one MSS that is to scan.

11. A communication method in a Relay Station (RS) in a cellular communication system, comprising the steps of:

determining, upon receipt of a scan request message from a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS), a scanning schedule for the MSS based on information included in the scan request message; and

transmitting a scan response message containing the determined scanning schedule information to the MSS.

12. The communication method of claim 11, wherein the scan request message contains information about desired neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs to be scanned.

13. The communication method of claim 11, wherein the scan response message contains at least one of a scan duration, a scan report mode, a scan report period, the type of information reported as a scanning result, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, a time interval between scannings, and information about neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs to be scanned.

16. The communication method of claim 11, further comprising buffering data to be transmitted to the MSS, during the scanning in the MSS.

17. The communication method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a scan report message containing a scanning result from the MSS; and

generating a report message reporting information included in the scan report message and transmitting the report message to the BS.

18. The communication method of claim 17, wherein the scan report message contains at least one of a scan report mode, the type of information reported as the scanning result, information about scanned neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs, and scanning result information.

19. The communication method of claim 11, further comprising:

discontinuing communication with the MSS during the scanning in the MSS; and

transmitting a scan finish message indicating completion of the scanning to a serving BS, when communication with the MSS resumes.

20. The communication method of claim 19, wherein the scan finish message contains information about at least one MSS that has completed scanning.

21. A communication method in a Base Station (BS) in a cellular communication system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a scan request message of a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) from a Relay Station (RS);

determining a scanning schedule for the MSS based on information included in the scan request message; and

transmitting a scan response message containing the determined scanning schedule information to the MSS via the RS.

22. The communication method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the RS, after transmitting the scan response message.

23. The communication method of claim 22, wherein the scan notify message contains at least one of an MSS Identifier (ID), a scan duration, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, and a time interval between scannings.

24. The communication method of claim 21, further comprising receiving a scan report message containing a scanning result from the MSS.

25. The communication method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting data buffered during the scanning in the MSS to the MSS via the RS, when receiving the scan report message.

26. The communication method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting a scan result message indicating the scanning result of the MSS to the RS, when receiving the scan report message.

27. The communication method of claim 26, wherein the scan result message contains at least one of an MSS ID, the IDs of nodes that the MSS has scanned, and scanning result information.

28. A communication method in a Base Station (BS) in a cellular communication system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a scan notify message indicating scanning of a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) from a Relay Station (RS);

recognizing the scanning of the MSS from the scan notify message; and

transmitting a response message for the scan notify message to the RS.

29. The communication method of claim 28, further comprising:

buffering data to be transmitted to the MSS during the scanning in the MSS; and

transmitting the buffered data to the MSS via the RS, upon receipt of a message reporting a scanning result of the MSS or a scan finish message indicating completion of the scanning of the MSS from the RS.

30. The communication method of claim 28, wherein the scan notify message contains information about at least one MSS that performs scanning.

31. A scanning method in a cellular communication system, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a scan request message requesting scanning to a Base Station (BS) via a Relay Station (RS) by a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS);

transmitting a scan response message containing information for scanning of the MSS to the MSS via the RS by the BS; and

transmitting a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the RS by the BS.

32. The scanning method of claim 31, wherein the scan notify message contains at least one of an MSS Identifier (ID), a scan duration, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, and a time interval between scannings.

33. The scanning method of claim 31, further comprising:

scanning neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs according to information included in the scan response message by the MSS;

transmitting a scan report message containing a scanning result to the BS via the RS by the MSS; and

transmitting a scan result message indicating the scanning result to the RS by the BS.

34. The scanning method of claim 33, further comprising transmitting data buffered during the scanning in the MSS to the MSS via the RS by the BS.

35. The scanning method of claim 33 wherein the scan result message contains at least one of an MSS ID, the IDs of nodes that the MSS has scanned, and scanning result information.

36. A scanning method in a cellular communication system, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a scan request message requesting scanning to a Relay Station (RS) by a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS);

transmitting a scan response message containing information for scanning of the MSS to the MSS by the RS; and

transmitting a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the BS by the RS.

37. The scanning method of claim 36, wherein the scan notify message contains information about at least one MSS that performs scanning.

38. The scanning method of claim 36, further comprising transmitting a response message for the scan notify message to the RS by the BS.

39. The scanning method of claim 36, further comprising:

scanning neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs according to information included in the scan response message by the MSS;

transmitting a scan report message containing a scanning result to the RS by the MSS; and

generating a report message reporting information included in the scan report message and transmitting the report message to the BS by the RS.

40. The scanning method of claim 39, further comprising transmitting data buffered during the scanning in the MSS to the MSS by the RS.

41. The scanning method of claim 39, further comprising transmitting data buffered during the scanning in the MSS to the RS by the BS.

42. The scanning method of claim 36, further comprising transmitting a scan result message indicating a scanning result of the MSS to the BS by the RS.

43. The scanning method of claim 42, wherein the scan result message contains information about at least one MSS that has completed scanning.

44. An apparatus in a Relay Station (RS) in a cellular communication system, comprising:

a message processor for disassembling a scan notify message received from a Base Station (BS); and

a controller for recognizing scanning of a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) based on information included in the scan notify message received from the message processor.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the scan notify message contains at least one of an MSS Identifier (ID), a scan duration, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, and a time interval between scannings.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the message processor disassembles a scan result message received from the BS and the controller acquires a scanning result of the MSS using information included in the scan result message.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the scan result message contains at least one of an MSS ID, the IDs of nodes that the MSS has scanned, and scanning results for the nodes.

48. An apparatus in a Relay Station (RS) in a cellular communication system, comprising:

a message processor for processing a scan request message received from a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS);

a message generator for generating a scan response message containing information requires for scanning of the MSS for the scan request message; and

an interface module for transmitting a message received from the message generator through an antenna.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the scan request message contains information about desired neighbor Base Stations (BSs) and neighbor RSs to be scanned.

50. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the scan response message contains at least one of a scan duration, a scan report mode, a scan report period, the type of information reported as a scanning result, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, a time interval between scannings, and information about neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs to be scanned.

51. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein upon receipt of a scan result message containing a scanning result from the MSS, the message generator generates a report message reporting information included in the scan report message to the BS and provides the report message to the interface module.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the scan report message contains at least one of a scan report mode, the type of information reported as the scanning result, information about scanned neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs, and scanning result information.

53. The apparatus of claim 48, further comprising a storage for buffering data to be transmitted to the MSS during the scanning in the MSS.

54. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the message generator generates a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the BS and provides the scan notify message to the interface module, after transmitting the scan response message.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the scan notify message contains information about at least one MSS that performs scanning.

56. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the message generator generates a scan finish message indicating completion of the scanning of the MSS to the BS and providing the scan finish message to the interface module, when communication resumes after the scanning is completed.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein the scan finish message contains information about at least one MSS that has completed scanning.

58. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the interface module is used for communication in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).

59. A Relay Station in a cellular communication system, comprising:

a message processor for disassembling a scan notify message received from a first station; and

a controller for recognizing scanning of a second station based on information included in the scan notify message received from the message processor.

60. A Relay Station in a cellular communication system, comprising:

a message processor for processing a scan request message received from a first station;

a message generator for generating a scan response message containing information requires for scanning of the first station for the scan request message; and

an interface module for transmitting a message received from the message generator through an antenna.